Being a flaneur with mobility impairments?

[rydra_wong]

So, yeah.

I am recovering slowly from a Lisfranc injury. I am now allowed to walk (in rigid-soled shoes), but it's slow, tiring, and tends to make my foot ache; I have very very limited spoons for walking in a day.

Since I could previously walk for hours on end, this is a major blow. I can't stroll or absently wander anywhere any more. If I ever can again, it will be a fair while from now.

Anyone adapting flaneur-y to deal with mobility impairments? Flaneurs using public transport? Tip, advice, suggestions or constraints?

Comments

[cxcvi]

I guess that something interesting could be done with urban train routes, particularly ones that stay above ground for most of the route. London has more of these than Bristol does, though, so this is untested.

[rydra_wong]

Ooh, good plan. Tube-based stuff could be interesting generally (some of the Tube is overground).

These are my first thoughts (more later perhaps)

[spiralsheep]

I'm glad to hear you're recovering, and sorry to hear about the shoes. Weren't you in "barefoot" footwear before the accident?

Apart from the adaptable public transport-based challenge already in the com's June challenge:

- London has boats in addition to buses and trains and trams (river and canals, or plan a route using all four methods of motorised transport!).

- vertical "walking" that, in fact, often involves lifts and escalators (how high can you get? In a public building? Or sneaking into a semi-public space such as a hotel/office?).

- System-based challenges for the list-collectors (such as the Tube's deepest, furthest, highest, oldest, newest, &c).

- challenges based on sensory goals instead of distance (there are sometimes trails for this in parks, or try visiting a herb garden such as Chelsea Physic to collect a set number of smells/colours).

- derive via googlemaps (or map/other method of choice).

- stay at home and "fake" a souvenir/diary of a walk/holiday of a lifetime (yes, I've done this, hee!).

- visit something that moves long distances while standing still (like the steam-powered engines at Kew Bridge Steam Museum [/personal obsession] ).

I would read posts involving any of these (and more). :-)

Re: These are my first thoughts (more later perhaps)

[rydra_wong]

Weren't you in "barefoot" footwear before the accident?

Yes, very happily. But I have now been told sternly that all the shoes I currently own are far too flexible, and I cannot wear them; I was ordered to go and buy Doc Martens or similar.

(Which means I now have the DM break-in period to contend with as well.)

A rigid-soled shoe does make walking markedly less painful, though clompy and cumbersome compared to what I'm now used to -- basically by severely limiting transfer of weight from heel to toe with each step.

And it is possible that I may (at some future point) be allowed to return to some of my barefoot shoes but with orthotics. Maybe.

This all leaves me about as grumpy and disconsolate as one might expect.

Re: These are my first thoughts (more later perhaps)

[spiralsheep]

You have my sympathy. I wish there was something more practical I could do. Good luck!

Re: These are my first thoughts (more later perhaps)

[kaberett]

This does sound pretty grim :-(

Re: These are my first thoughts (more later perhaps)

[rydra_wong]

Well, relative to the injury -- which is, I was comfortingly told, "the most difficult foot injury to treat" -- I've been really really lucky.

It got diagnosed correctly almost right away (apparently it's often missed because the breaks in the bone often only show up on weight-bearing X-rays), the joint was stable so it didn't need surgery, I only had to have five weeks of total non-weight-bearing, and apparently it all looks about as good at this stage as it possibly can.

So it could have been much much much worse. It's just an injury that by its nature heals slowly and sometimes incompletely.

Re: These are my first thoughts (more later perhaps)

[ninamazing]

Sorry to cut in, but I'm a flaneur with a recurring mobility issue, so your post really spoke to me & I'm always trying to learn everything I can about leg/foot injuries. And obviously, I am so sorry for your troubles, UGH.

If you don't mind saying so, what is the rationale for rigid-soled shoes, especially Doc Martens? I have found that heavy shoes seem to hurt me more because they're extra load to lift; I get the flexibility argument, while you're healing, but why not rigid-soled shoes that are as close-fitting and light as possible? (Leaving aside the fact that those are probably either too expensive or not really existent.) It also seems like once you've healed, God/Goddess/Universe willing, returning to barefoots would be better, but I am utterly biased by my own particular issues because barefoot shoes have been amazing for my knees.

So my advice might not even apply at all, but getting a stylin' cane really helped me. I felt very uncomfortable being obviously physically vulnerable in public but having a large blunt object made me feel safer, and inspired kinder souls to give up seats on public transit. Unfortunately, all the dragon-headed canes I found on eBay were decorative and not supportive, but I got a sturdy purple aluminum cane for like less than $20 with shipping I think.

Re: These are my first thoughts (more later perhaps)

[rydra_wong]

No, thanks for cutting in -- it's good to hear from other people dealing with similar mobility issues!

If you don't mind saying so, what is the rationale for rigid-soled shoes, especially Doc Martens?

The rationale for rigid-soled shoes is that it limits the transfer of weight through the midfoot (which is the area that's fucked up).

why not rigid-soled shoes that are as close-fitting and light as possible? (Leaving aside the fact that those are probably either too expensive or not really existent.)

Yeah, I'm guessing the bit in parentheses is the answer, basically. Though I need to check out whether there are walking boots that would fit the bill.

It also seems like once you've healed, God/Goddess/Universe willing, returning to barefoots would be better, but I am utterly biased by my own particular issues because barefoot shoes have been amazing for my knees.

I have the same biases, and switched to barefoot shoes years ago after a run of knee problems which they helped to fix. Unfortunately, the deal with Lisfranc injuries is that they take ages to heal fully, if they ever do -- they don't always get back to full pre-injury health, and there's a fairly significant risk of post-traumatic arthritis.

So, hoping I'll be able to get back to my barefoot shoes some day.

Spampology

[spiralsheep]

One for warmer weather:

- incorporate a stopping constraint (such as stopping/sitting at every x distance/number of steps OR stop/sit at every bench/cafe/other sort of opportunity, possibly to enact another constraint such as reading for x amount of pages/time OR sketch an image OR write a poem OR take a photo ONLY from the resting position OR alternate these actions. Or for extreme flaneurs perhaps try laying down on unusual surfaces).

Re: Spampology

[rydra_wong]

Oooh, I like. A stopping constraint could be excellent (as well as conforming to medical orders about the maximum uninterrupted time I'm allowed to walk for). Hrm. Must ponder.

Now I'm thinking one option might be to construct walks around "stepping stones" -- i.e. go from one significant location to another, with each within my walking limit.

Re: Spampology

[marymac]

I used that technique this week (complete ankle dislocation, recently graduated into aircast) to go from lunch to meeting to GP to cafe to home. Requires supervision if you are, like me, slightly over-optimistic about your actual ability to keep going. Or for uneven terrain - Belfast's city fathers' historical attachment to trees does a number on the footpaths.

(Conclusion was that consultant was not joking when he cackled and said "Oh, you'll know" when asked how far I could walk in it. Ow.)

Re: Spampology

[rydra_wong]

Commiserations!

Requires supervision if you are, like me, slightly over-optimistic about your actual ability to keep going.

Yes, rapidly becoming familiar with that one.

Re: Spampology

[marymac]

It does suck quite mightily, doesn't it!
Climbing injury with me too, although in my case a bad bouldering landing.

I paid quite comprehensively for my adventure with a day of utter agony, but it was worth finding out I could do it. Improves from here, right?

Re: Spampology

[rydra_wong]

In my case, the landing was fine -- it was the hold that hammered the arch of my foot on the way down that was the problem ...

Improves from here, right?

It has to.

Hey, are you in disobey_gravity? We should maybe start a post on "ways to occupy yourself while recovering from climbing injuries".

(I'm working on "developing superhuman finger, arm and core strength," personally.)

Re: Spampology

[marymac]

I'm not, actually - in fact the landing (feet first onto the mat off the overhang is a Bad Idea) was Episode 2 of the household New Year resolution for Other Housemate to get back in coaching practice and me to relearn it. Insanely, several of the people who scraped me off the floor have asked him for coaching.

My plans are for core strength, hand and wrist strength (I already have a ligament injury in one wrist, it is not happy with me), back alignment, de-traumatising housemate, swimming to follow once I get the all-clear.

Done so much ligament damage that I have another 4 weeks before I'm allowed any cast-less weight bearing and at least 6 months before climbing, if I'm lucky. And OH will never let me back on the wall without a belay again, poor man.

Re: Spampology

[spiralsheep]

I like your idea of "stepping stones". It sounds more positive than "stopping constraint", heh. I also like the idea of incorporating a positive "action" at each stepping stone, so the flaneur's location and stillness become positive attributes fully incorporated into the experience.

[kaberett]

One of the things I do is find people or places I can borrow powered transport from - power-assist or entirely-powered wheelchairs - in Cambridge there's a shopmobility scheme I can use to access that (when my own chairs aren't working/up to the job in mind).

Public transport is the other way I see to work around this (and I'm intending to use it as a way to (a) get to know London and (b) get over my fear of London buses, when I move).

Those are my immediate thoughts. More of them some not-2am, maybe.

[rydra_wong]

Tangential, but possibly relevant for when you move to London --

transportforall

[marymac]

Randomly apropos footwear, have you thought about a good pair of walking boots? Might be easier and lighter to work in than Docs - obviously check with the physio, but Cotswold have found me a lovely light-but-supportive pair for when I get my leg back and they do come in stiff sole styles.

[rydra_wong]

Yes, I ought to check out some walking boots. I went for DMs mainly because they're familiar (from before I switched to barefoot shoes) and the podiatrist said they'd work.